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Empire of Brazil
The Empire of Brazil (Portuguese: Império do Brasil) is the largest and most populous country in Latin America, and one of the largest - in size and population - in the world. Its territory covers 8,691,092 km² between central South America and the Atlantic Ocean, and it is the eastern-most country of the Americas. It borders Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana and the department of French Guiana to the north, Colombia to the northwest, Bolivia and Peru to the west, Argentina and Paraguay to the southwest, and Uruguay to the south. Numerous archipelagos are part of the Brazilian territory, such as Penedos de São Pedro e São Paulo, Fernando de Noronha, Trindade e Martim Vaz and Atol das Rocas. A tropical climate is predominant. In the south of the country, subtropical climate prevails. Brazil is cut through by the Equator and Tropic of Capricorn. It is home to varied fauna and flora and extensive natural resources. Brazil was colonized by Portugal from 1500 until its independence in 1822. The Brazilian population tends to concentrate along the coastline in large urban centers. While Brazil has one of the largest populations in the world, population density is low and the inner continental land has large areas of low population. It is a multiracial country composed of European, Amerindian, African and Asian elements. The official language is Portuguese, and it is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas. Catholicism is both the state religion and the most widely practiced religion; however, all faiths are tolerated, and the non-Catholic population, particularly the Protestant communities, has experienced significant growth in the last decades. Brazil has the largest Roman Catholic population in the world. The Brazilian economy is among the largest, most robust, and most powerful in the world. The country is highly developed and industrialized, with a large and rapidly expanding middle class, high standards of living, and one of the highest rates of economic growth in the world. Politics Executive Brazil is a unitary semi-constitutional monarchy. Its Constitution outlines the existence of four powers: *Executive — The State Council *Legislative — The General Assembly, formed by the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies *Judiciary — The Courts *Moderator — Resolve any incompatibilities between the other three The Emperor is the "Moderator Power" and controls the executive by indicating the members of the State Council, influences the legislative by being allowed to propose motions and having the power to dissolve it, and influences the judiciary by appointing (for life) the members of the highest court. The Constitution established Brazil as a highly centralized unitary state (the provinces have little autonomy, if any). The Emperor The head of state of Brazil is the Emperor, who possesses Poder Moderador (Moderating Power), i.e. the power to temper the will of Brazil's representative government. The Emperor has the power to veto legislation, dissolve the Chamber of Deputies and call new elections, appoint Senators, provincial Governors, and members of the Supreme Court of Justice, conclude treaties with foreign nations, and declare war. He serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and directs both military and foreign policy. The degree of power held by the Emperor has varied by ruler, although most of Brazil's rulers have generally respected the wishes of the electorate, and the current Emperor limits himself to mainly ceremonial functions and foreign visits, preferring to leave the oversight of day-to-day governmental affairs to the Prime Minister. List of Brazilian monarchs The Prime Minister The Prime Minister is the head of government of Brazil. The political position of Prime Minister of Brazil was first created in 1847, during the reign of Dom Pedro II. Officially, the title of the Prime Minister is President of the Council of Ministers, but he is often referred to by the press and the people as President of the Cabinet. The written Constitution of Brazil does not require the Emperor to appoint a prime minister, nor does it provide for a parliamentary system of government; instead, it vests the executive authority in the Emperor himself, and stipulates that the Emperor is to be aided by ministers that he is free to appoint and dismiss. However, Emperor Pedro II decided to appoint a president of the council among his ministers, to lead the workings of the government. He also chose to create a sort of parliamentary government, whereby the prime minister would be someone who could command a majority in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the General Assembly. Therefore, even without being required by the Constitution, the Emperor started to exercise his authority in a manner compatible with parliamentary government, only appointing as prime minister someone who could retain parliamentary support, etc. However, the Emperor did not become a figurehead monarch like other heads of state in a parliamentary system. The prime minister needed to retain the political confidence both of a majority of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Emperor, who actively scrutinized the workings of the government. Sometimes the Emperor would dissolve the Chamber of Deputies and summon new elections (a power he possessed under the Constitution), or dismiss the prime minister, due to his own political beliefs about the efficiency of the government. Thus, the Emperor would often dismiss a prime minister, and then appoint someone else from the same party. All this led to a succession of shortlived Cabinets. The emperor retained decision-making powers with regard to the signature or veto of bills passed by Parliament, and would not always abide by the advice of his ministers. And that was seen as normal given that the monarch was not required by the Constitution to reign in a parliamentary system, and the establishment of one was only a limited and voluntary decision of Pedro II. Therefore, the parliamentary system voluntarily established by Emperor Pedro II was not - and is not - identical to the standard of a parliamentary government with a head of state that reigns but does not govern, given that the Emperor retained part of the control over the daily affairs of his government. Thus, the parliamentary system that was put in place in the reign of Pedro II (and remains in place today) can be termed a semi-imperial government, and can be compared to the political system of some republics, such as France, that are governed under a semi-presidential system, in which the head of state has more than just the customary reserve powers, but there is also a prime minister who needs to maintain the confidence of Parliament in order to retain his office. This co-existence of a head of state with real powers and influence with a prime minister responsible before parliament is dubbed by many Brazilian political scientists as parlamentarismo às avessas (flopped parliamentarism), a criticism corresponding to their view that, in the parliamentary system of Brazil, the Chamber of Deputies is the weaker party, constantly being dissolved, and the survival of the Cabinet depends more on the confidence of the Emperor than in that of General Assembly. The current Prime Minister is Alexsander da Rosa, leader of the Libertarians (Libertários). He and his cabinet were appointed by Emperor Luís I in 2004. State Council The State Council, also called the Council of Ministers, is the cabinet of Brazil. The composition of the current cabinet is as follows: *Minister of Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Works: Afonso Luiza Rezende *Minister of External Relations: José Cabral Guimarães Rosa *Minister of Finance: Fernando Cautiero e Silva *Minister of Interior: Paulo Inácio dos Santos *Minister of Justice: João Vieira Soares *Minister of the Navy: Francisco de Oliveira Pinheiro *Minister of War: Deodoro de Alencar Tavares Ministries The Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Works is responsible for regulating the agricultural sector (rural affairs, food quality, food inspection and safety, and consumer protection), overseeing the country's external trade policies, planning and implementing public works programs, and regulating and maintaining national infrastructure (highways, railroads, ports and harbors, and airports). The Ministry of External Affairs helps formulate the nation's foreign policy. The Ministry of Finance is responsible for the government budget, fiscal policy, and control of finances. The Minister of Interior is responsible for policing, national security, immigration matters, and census taking. The Minister of Justice is responsible for the maintenance of the legal system. The Minister of Navy is responsible for administration of the Brazilian Imperial Navy. The Minister of War regulates the armed forces and is responsible for general defense policy and policy related to all matters of direct and primary concern to the military. Government budget The government budget for fiscal year 2008 is as follows: *Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Works: 47% *Ministry of External Affairs: 9% *Ministry of Finance: 14% *Ministry of Interior: 11% *Ministry of Justice: 11% *Ministry of Navy: 3% *Ministry of War: 5% Legislature The bicameral General Assembly serves as Brazil's legislature. It is comprised of the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) and the Senate (upper house). Suffrage was once limited only to very wealthy men, but most of these restrictions were overturned decades ago. Chamber of Deputies The Chamber of Deputies (Câmara dos Deputados) comprises 513 deputies, who are directly elected by open-list proportional representation to serve four-year terms. Suffrage is limited to those who are 20 years of age or older, literate, and own property. Women were granted the right to vote in 1932. Those who are serving in the military cannot vote (however, once they leave the military they may do so, provided they meet the qualifications to vote). The Emperor may dissolve the Chamber of Deputies and call new elections at his pleasure. Senate The upper house of the General Assembly is the Senate, which acts as a consulting body to the Emperor. Membership is for life, and it is a place of great prestige. In order to run for office in the Senate, one must be 40 years of age or older. Voters do not vote directly for the senators; rather, they vote for candidates to be senator electors. Once elected, these electors vote for senator. The election itself does not turn out a winner automatically. The three highest-voted candidates in each circumscription make up what is called a "triple list", from which the Emperor selects one individual, who is then considered to be "elected". The Emperor usually picks the highest-voted for individual, but it is within his discretion to select whichever of the three individuals listed he wants. The only exception to these rules are the Princes of the Brazilian Imperial House, who are senators by right and take a seat in the Senate upon reaching 25 years of age. The Senate has 183 members, 176 of whom represent the Empire's provinces (each province having a number of senators proportional to its population), and 7 of whom are Princes of the Brazilian Imperial House. Judiciary Supreme Court of Justice The Supreme Court of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justiça, or STF) is the highest court of law of the Empire of Brazil. The court also functions as a court of last resort. It can declare the unconstitutionality of laws passed by the General Assembly. This happens when the court judges a Direct Action of Unconstitutionality. The STF has eleven members. All judicial and administrative meetings of the Supreme Court of Justice are broadcast live on TV since 2002. The Court is open for the public to watch the meetings. Brazil's judicial system also has a series of special courts, in addition to the regular civil court system, covering the areas of military and election affairs. The judges of the STF and the special courts are each appointed by the Emperor and serve for life. Superior Military Court The Superior Military Court (Superior Tribunal Militar, or STM), created in 1808 by João VI (king of Portugal, 1816-26), is the oldest superior court in Brazil. It is composed of fifteen judges. The STM has jurisdiction over crimes committed by members of the armed forces. Superior Electoral Court Emperor Pedro III created the Superior Electoral Court (Tribunal Superior Eleitoral, or TSE) in 1932 in an effort to end election fraud and manipulation. The TSE has jurisdiction over all aspects of elections and regulates the functioning of political parties. Its powers include supervising party conventions and internal elections; granting or canceling registration of parties; registering candidates and certifying those elected; regulating and supervising party access to free television and radio time during an election; and registering voters. The TSE has seven members. Foreign relations to be added Provinces of Brazil #Amazonas #Pará #Maranhão #Piauí #Ceará #Rio Grande do Norte #Paraíba #Pernambuco #Alagoas #Sergipe #Bahia #Espírito Santo #Rio de Janeiro #Minas Gerais #Goiás #Mato Grosso #São Paulo #Paraná #Santa Catarina #Rio Grande do Sul List of Brazilian states Economy The Empire of Brazil's economy has undergone profound and dynamic change since the early 1930s, when then-Emperor Pedro III made a very daring and risky gamble. While the rest of the world embraced various strains of statism as a "solution" to the Great Depression, Pedro decided to try something entirely different. He hired a team of economists and businesspersons versed in the teachings of the Austrian School, and gave them the task of drafting and implementing an economic plan. Their plan, which called for free trade, the repeal of all subsidies, privatization of state-run industries, a balanced budget, radical cuts in spending, the elimination of wage and price controls, repeal of antitrust laws, and the removal of almost all regulations on business, was implemented shortly afterwards, albeit with some reluctance. It was indeed a gamble, but it paid off immensely. Within a few years, Brazil recovered from the Depression; by 1940, the economy had recovered to pre-Depression levels, unemployment was at its lowest rate in many years, the currency was stable (the country had adopted a gold standard), prices were declining, and the standard of living rose. The number of people living below the poverty line fell as the country's middle-class - previously modest in size - grew dramatically. By 1960, Brazil had a First World country. Its economy has continued to grow ever since; there has not been a single recession since the 1930s, when the country adopted full-reserve banking. Money and banking The currency of Brazil is called the real, but bank notes are generally named after the bank issuing them. Bank notes are required by law to be immediately redeemable in gold (once they are redeemed for gold, the notes are burned). One real represents 1/12 a troy ounce of gold. The Central Bank of Brazil prints notes according to the amount of gold it has. State banks, commercial banks, and government and independent auditors monitor the Central Bank's activities. Brazil has full-reserving banking, and fractional-reserve banking is illegal. This banking system has virtually eliminated the business cycle. Brazilian banks have a world-renowned reputation for their secrecy, rivalling even Swiss and Liechtensteiner banks. This has earned the country a good deal of (completely ignored) criticism from other countries, due to the large number of people who deposit their money in Brazilian bank accounts to avoid taxation. Credit is based entirely on voluntary systems such as bank savings bonds and term deposits. Interest rates are set by the market, rather than by the government. The government gave up its monopolies on banking and gold minting in the late 1940s. Taxation Each state collects revenue through a poll, or head, tax; the federal government, in turns, taxes the states (rather than the people directly) in proportion to their populations. Capital gains, corporate income, personal income, property, real estate, luxury goods, retail sales, gifts, services, and inheritance are not taxed. The tax rates are among the lowest in the world, earning the country a reputation as a tax haven. Brazil regularly tops the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's "List of Unco-operative Tax Havens," a distinction Brazil takes great pride in. Deficit spending is strictly unconstitutional; the only way the government can increase spending is by raising taxes. Ever since the country adopted laissez faire in the 1930s, the treasury has run surpluses every year. Trade The country has adopted nearly 100% free trade; the only restrictions on trade are in weapons (excluding individual firearms) and nuclear materials. There are no tariffs, quotas, excises, or duties on imports or exports. As such, the country enjoys a high - and rapidly growing - volume of trade. The country's major trading partners include the CoSN member states; the American Empire; Yugoslavia; and Italy. Labor The government does not set or regulate wages. Wages are decided by mutual agreement between the prospective employer and employee. Labor unions are legal, but do not enjoy a privileged status, and only a small percentage of the workforce is unionized. The rights to strike and of collective bargaining are constitutionally guaranteed for workers, although the former does not apply to those working in law enforcement or the armed forces. Labor conditions are among the freest and least regulated in the world. Privatization Education, healthcare, energy, the postal service, transportation, telecommunications, utilities, and social services are all fully privatized. The vast majority of infrastructure is also privatized, with the exception of some roads and inter-city and inter-state rails, which are owned and maintained by state and local governments. Aside from the courts, military, and police, virtually everything is handled entirely by the private sector (or, some cases, by state and local governments). Businesses are almost entirely unregulated. As a result, there is an extremely high level of foreign investment in Brazil, and the country is a popular destination for outsourcing. Industries The country's largest industries include motor vehicles, chemicals, lumber, aircraft, machinery, natural gas, hydropower, petroleum, tourism, and agriculture. Brazil is self-sufficient in energy production and does not rely on imports. Brazil is also the largest producer of coffee (by far) in the world. Demographics Age structure 0-14 years = 25.3% 15-64 years = 68.4% 65 years and over = 6.3% Sex ratio At birth = 1.05 male(s)/female Under 15 years = 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years = 0.983 male(s)/female 65 years and over = 0.697 male(s)/female Total population = 0.976 male(s)/female Infant mortality rate Total = 3.92 deaths/1,000 live births Male = 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births Female = 3.42 deaths/1,000 live births Life expectancy at birth Total population = 78.87 years Male = 75.6 years Female = 82.36 years Total fertility rate 2.13 children born/woman HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 0.3% Nationality Noun: Brazilian(s) Adjective: Brazilian Ethnic groups White = 50.8% Mulatto (mixed white and black) = 22.5% Black = 17.3% Asian = 5.4% Middle Eastern = 2.7% Amerindian = 0.36% Mestizo = 0.32% Unspecified = 0.62% Religions Roman Catholic = 81.6% Baptist = 2.6% Buddhist = 2.11% Seventh-day Adventist = 1.62% Lutheran = 1.5% Calvinist = 1.5% Jewish = 1.04% Muslim = 1.01% Hindu = 0.72% Shinto = 0.5% Mormon = 0.41% Pentecostal = 0.36% Jehovah's Witness = 0.33% Traditional African religion = 0.3% Spiritist = 0.3% Anglican = 0.05% Agnostic = 0.545% Atheist = 0.005% Other = 3.5% Languages Portuguese (official) Spanish (spoken by 75-80% of the population) English (spoken by 20% of the population, understood by 40-60%) Almost 200 indigenous languages Literacy rate Definition: Age 15 and over can read and write Total population: 99.2% Male: 99.2% Female: 99.2% Culture A wide variety of elements influenced Brazilian culture. Its major early influence derived from Portuguese culture, because of strong colonial ties with the Portuguese empire. Among other inheritances, the Portuguese introduced the Portuguese language, the Roman-Germanic legal system, and the colonial architectural styles. Other aspects of Brazilian culture are contributions of European and Asian immigrants, Native South American people (such as the Tupi), and African slaves. Thus, Brazil is a multicultural and multiethnic society. Italian, German and other European immigrants came in large numbers and their influences are felt closer to the Southeast and South of Brazil. Amerindian peoples influenced Brazil's language and cuisine and the Africans, brought to Brazil as slaves, influenced Brazil's music, dance, cuisine, religion and language. In the 1950s, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes, Baden Powell de Aquino, and João Gilberto popularized the Bossa Nova style in music. Later Elis Regina, Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque and Nara Leão had an important role in shaping Música Popular Brasileira (literally translated as "Brazilian Popular Music," often abbreviated to MPB). In the late 1960s, tropicalismo was popularized by Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. Brazilian Carnival (Portuguese: Carnaval) is an annual celebration held 40 days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent. Brazilian Carnival has distinct regional characteristics. Other regional festivals include the Boi Bumbá and Festa Junina (June Festivals). Religion The most popular religion in Brazil is Roman Catholicism, which is also the state religion (however, all faiths are tolerated). The country has the largest Roman Catholic population in the world. Adepts of Protestantism are rising in number. Until 1970, the majority of Brazilian Protestants were members of "traditional churches", mostly Lutherans, Presbyterians and Baptists. Since then, numbers of Pentecostal and Neopentecostal members have increased significantly (although the number of Protestants is still dwarfed by the number of Catholics). Islam in Brazil was first practiced by African slaves. A recent trend has been the increase in conversions to Islam among non-Arab citizens. Around 1,950,000 Muslims live in Brazil as of 2007. The largest population of Buddhists in Latin America lives in Brazil, mostly because the country has the largest Japanese population outside Japan (around 2% of the population is of Japanese descent). Sport Football is the most popular sport in Brazil. The Brazilian national football team is currently ranked second in the world according to the FIFA World Rankings. They have been victorious in the World Cup tournament a record five times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. Basketball, volleyball, auto racing, and martial arts also attract large audiences. Though not as regularly followed or practiced as the previously mentioned sports, tennis, team handball, swimming, and gymnastics have found a growing number of enthusiasts over the last decades. In auto racing, Brazilian drivers have won the Formula 1 world championship eight times: Emerson Fittipaldi (1972 and 1974), Nelson Piquet (1981, 1983 and 1987) and Ayrton Senna (1988, 1990 and 1991). The circuit located in São Paulo, Autódromo José Carlos Pace, hosts the annual Grand Prix of Brazil. In basketball, Brazil’s men’s team has won the Basketball World Championship twice, in 1959 and 1963. The women’s team has won the FIBA World Championship for Women only once, in 1994. Currently though, both national teams have become less competitive; as of June, 2007, FIBA ranks the men's team 17th in the world and the women's team as 4th. volleyball, the country didn’t enjoy much success until the early 1990s, but as of 2006, Brazil’s men’s national team is on top of the FIVB rank, winning multiple titles. The women’s team also won several competitions and is currently ranked second in the world by FIVB. Some sport variations have their origins in Brazil. Beach football, futsal (official version of indoor football) and footvolley emerged in the country as variations of football. In martial arts, Brazilians have developed Capoeira, Vale tudo, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Cuisine Brazilian cuisine is a mix of the cuisines of its inhabitants and immigrants: Native Americans, Portuguese, Africans, Italians, Spaniards, Germans, Syrians, Lebanese, and others. The country is divided into five main cuisine regions: # North (Picadinho de Jacaré, Tacacá, and Açaí) # Northeast (Vatapá, Moqueca, and Acarajé) # Central-West (Pamonha and Pequi) # Southeast (Feijoada) # South (Churrasco) Other popular dishes include: *Caipirinha *Pão de Queijo *Brigadeiro *Pastel *Tapioca National holidays Category:Empire of Brazil Brazil, Empire of